Kazakhstan Launches New Nature Reserve to Heal Aral Sea

The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has announced the creation of a new state nature reserve, Aral Ormany, in the Kyzylorda Region.

The reserve is part of a national push to support forest restoration and ecological recovery on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea-one of the world's most pressing environmental challenges, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev visited the region to monitor the progress of key afforestation initiatives tied to Kazakhstan’s environmental agenda. His visit underscored the government's commitment to rehabilitating the devastated landscape left by the shrinking sea.

In Kazalinsk, Nyssanbayev toured a forest nursery that began operations in November 2024. Of the 33-hectare site, 10 hectares are currently active, where saxaul seeds are being cultivated. The ministry reports that approximately 3 million standard seedlings are expected to be grown at the facility for future planting across the Aral’s former seabed.

The minister also inspected 4,000 hectares of afforested land planted in 2023 using black saxaul seedlings. These efforts were carried out in line with scientific recommendations and are currently considered to be in satisfactory condition.

Further, he reviewed newly planted areas covering 11,800 hectares, afforested in March with financial support from Katko, a Kazakh-French joint venture. The condition of these sites is reportedly good, indicating successful early growth.

As part of his visit, Nyssanbayev also examined the construction of a new 15-hectare nursery located directly on the dried seabed. The nursery will include an on-site water well for irrigation and modular housing for staff. Once completed, it is expected to produce up to 1.5 million drought-resistant seedlings annually, boosting the scale and efficiency of afforestation efforts while cutting transport costs.

The Aral Ormany reserve and surrounding projects are central to Kazakhstan’s broader strategy to combat desertification, restore biodiversity, and mitigate the long-term environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the Aral Sea disaster.